St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-06-27

and fire. He uses no compulsion, all
His words and all His works is one
great, loving invitation: Come unto Me
and find rest! You may force people to
become hypocrites, not to become
Christians.
Some understand this word: Compel
them to come i'll, to mean that we shall
use the law, draw a vivid and fearful
picture of the justice and wrath of God,
the terrorS of hell, and thus bring the
sinner into state of fear and terror. |
bow in the dust before the law of God,
will use it for myself, that daily may
see my sins and need of mercy. l will
use it here in your midst, that
are in the sight of God, poor
for the law, it cannot compel people to
enter the kingdom of God. 1t can
awaken fear of Judgment and hell, but
the kingdom of God is a kingdom of
love, not of fear, and the great supper
IS feast of joy, not a terror. But how
shall we then compel them to come in?
1T is the power of Divine love alone
that can compel sinners to enter the
kingdom of heaven. If l could show
you Gods love to you, take you to
Bethlehem and show you the heavenly
child i'll the manager; take you before
Pontius PLATE and show you that
sc0urged body, that head, crowned
with thorns; take you to Geth-
anguish of soul of your Redeemer,
take you to Golgatha and show you the
Lamb of God, crucified for the sins of
the world; take you to that open grave,
where the angel sings the resurrection
hymn, and then tell you: Such love is
there in heaven for your, poor sinful
soul, such is Gods love, and then would
show Him to you, how He stands there
close to your heart, not stern and COM
manding. but humbly and lovingly
knocking at the door of your heart and
and then you should hear His voice:
Behold, stand at the door and knock,
if any man hear My voice and open the
door, l will come in to him, and l
will sup with. him and he with Me-"
l would tell you, He has suffered and
died for you, He is risen for you, He has
followed you like shepherd his lost
sheep over land and ocean until now.
viii YOU reject Him? The love of
Christ eonstraineth us, says the apostle,
divine love alone can compel them to
come in, and it is this, we. His servants,
must proclaim. Many rejected the in
vitation. 1t is the report, the complaint,
tle sorrow OF the servants. do you
think servant of God is often glad?
When you have finished your day work
in the shop, on the street, in the count
ing-roOm, you come home tired, but sat
isfied that your work is done and well
done, any one can examine it, and you
rest in peace, but when the servant
of God comes home after his
days work, how many hours his days
work has lasted. and he may be SO tired
that all his limbs ache, he is not salts
fled, he is heavy at heart, questioning
himself: "What good have | done?
What useless servant l am! Have l
been as faithful as l should?'' And
many time when you rest in sleep
Gods servant is moistening his pillow
with his tears. weeping for those who
would not come, weeping over himself.
But is there never a time when he can
feel glad? Oh, yes! When he sees them
come in! When sinner by his teSti-
mony is saved; when he can take an
erring soul by the hand and lead him up
to the great throne, when he can point
dying sinner to the Lamb of God,
when he can say: Lord it is done, as
Thou hast commanded -